St Kilda head coach Ross Lyon has unloaded on the AFL Tribunal following the suspension of emerging Saints player Alix Tauru.
Tauru was handed a four-week suspension for a bump that concussed an opponent in a recent VFL match. Due to the Saints' VFL fixture including two byes, one at the beginning and another at the end of the ban, Tauru is effectively sidelined for six weeks.
Speaking after the Tribunal decision, Lyon expressed deep frustration at what he described as a lack of common sense in the process.
"Well, is it four or is it six weeks? We're incredibly disappointed. I'm really frustrated. It talks to a broken system," Lyon said.
"We've already had one bye, we're having another one this week. I just don't understand the human side... So we've got a first-year top 10 draft pick, that if you think the penalty is four weeks, that's okay, but they know we've got a bye and then at the end of that, there's another bye. So, how the Tribunal doesn't take into consideration that it is six weeks?
"Noah Balta got four weeks stand down for an assault off the field... with respect. We got a kid that concussed a player, but it's a six-week penalty. There's just no consideration, as Paul Roos would say, 'common sense is commonly uncommon', so I'm filthy."
Lyon also took aim at the structure of the VFL, which is currently made up of 21 teams from Victoria, NSW and Queensland, and contains clubs not currently affiliated with an AFL team. He echoed frustrations shared by other Victorian clubs regarding the competition's fixturing inconsistencies.
"No wonder AFL clubs talk about 'let's have a breakaway group from a 22-team (sic) competition, let's have four or five clubs just play each other.' Because it's not worth the risk and there's no recompense, consideration or adjustment for the realities of a misaligned fixture of what is a feeder competition.
"Yeah, so I am absolutely filthy. What I would like would be common sense to prevail for a young player.
"We talk about mental health of a kid getting feedback about opponent awareness. The kid gets suspended for four and he misses six. How do you reckon his mental health is going at the moment... and mine?"
Tauru, selected with pick No. 10 in last year's draft, had been impressing at VFL level before the suspension.
Lyon also spoke to the availability of young midfielder Hugo Garcia after he was subbed out at half time in last week's match against the Lions.
He attributed Garcia's early exit to performance but said the youngster has taken the criticism well.
"Yeah he's great, I understand that there's been a lot of noise around it," he said.
"He goes 'I'm no victim. You just coach action' and yeah, he will play this week which is fine."
St Kilda look to bounce back from a tough loss against the Lions with a win against Fremantle on Friday night at Marvel Stadium.
